Gas lighter



y 12, 1964 L. G. ROGERS 3,132,499

' GAS LIGHTER Filed March 6, 1962 FIG. 1.

lo in 14 I 20 22 i m 23 FIG. 2. w Y 25 2A 3O 4 20/ --29 *31 :54 j 35 as 1 VENTOR LEONARD G. OGER$ KARL. (4). FL C ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fiice 3,132,499 Patented May 12, 1964 York Filed Mar. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 177,797 5 Claims. (Cl. 67--7.1)

The present invention relates to gas lighters, and has particular reference to an improved burner unit on a gas lighter.

With the burner of the present invention, it is possible to have greater control of the size of the flame of a gas lighter.

It is an object of this invention to prevent the blockmg of the flow of the gas through the burner when the needle valve is in the open position. i

It is a further object of the present invention to maintam a constant size opening for the flow of gas through the burner despite temperature changes of the parts thereof caused by the heat of the flame.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a burner constructed so as to maintain the flow of a constant volume of gas therethrough unafliected by temperature and pressure changes. Basically, the present invention provides a novel and improved burner with a part of the burner made of material unaffected by the temperatures encountered in the use of thelighter forming a precise size passageway for the gas, and a needle shaped so as to assure an open passage for the gas even under high pressures of the gas stored in the lighter.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a detailed description of the invention and from the appended drawings and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, appearing partially in section, of a lighter constructed to operate in accordance with the invention; and i FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectioned view showing details of the burner of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a complete gas lighter of the type used as a pocket lighter for cigars or cigarettes, fueled by combustible gases such as butane or propane, which may advantageously be used with the burner of the present invention. As illustrated, the lighter in case has lid 11 which may be opened to allow operation of sparking wheel 12 against flint 13 to ignite the gas issuing from burner 20. Flint 13 is held against sparking wheel 12 in a conventional manner by spring 14.

The gas which issues from burner 20 is stored in the lighter in compartment 15 under pressure, having been introduced into the compartment through a filler valve 16 of some conventional design. When lid 11 is closed, as shown in FIG. 1, the element 17 is held in a position by spring 18 so as to press downward against valve pin 21 and close burner to the passage of the gas.

FIG. 2 shows the details of the structure of burner 20 which has been constructed so as to provide a calibrated passage of variable cross sectional area permit-ting adjustment of the delivery of gas through burner 20. A metal sleeve 22 is centrally bored and also has a flange 23 and an external thread 24 for aflixing burner 20 to the upper wall of reservoir compartment 15 of the lighter. The bore of sleeve 22 is enlarged for most of its length and is internally threaded to accept gas control member 25.

Gas control member 25 consists of a metal cylinder 26 threaded on its exterior to match the thread in sleeve 22. On the threaded portions of sleeve 22 and control member 25, control member 25 is screwed in or out by rotation of wheel 27 near the head of member 25. A valve pin 21 is housed in gas control member 25 and the head of this pin projects beyond the terminal of burner or jet tube 28. The lower end of valve pin 21 passes through a guide plate 29 and its hemispherical end 30 rests on a neoprene or soft plastic washer 31. This washer 31 has a hole stamped-centrally to provide a gas passage 32. Located directly below washer 31 is a metal thimble 33 that is a forcefit in sleeve 22. 'In the top of thimble 33 is a hole with a beveled edge in which is inserted a disc 34 of sapphire, garnet, or other substance which does not tend to expand and contract 'to any great extent when subjected to changes in temperature. Disc 34 is drilled centrally to provide a very small orifice 35.

In operation, the butane or propane gas in the reservoir compartment 15 of the lighter passes through inlet orifice 36 into thimble 33 and through the thermal stable disc 34 to the deformable passage 32 in neoprene or plastic washer 31. The flow of gas is controlled at this stage by the plastic Washer 31 being compressed by the controlled rotation of wheel 27 on gas control member 25. When member 25 is rotated so as to be lowered into sleeve 22 and press against guide plate 29, plastic Washer 31 is compressed causing passage 32 through Washer 3-1 to be made smaller thereby decreasing the flow of gas. Rotation of member 25 in the opposite direction will cause release of the compressive force against plastic washer 31, thereby decreasing the distortion of the sides of passage 3-2 and increasing the size of the passage.

In order to permit the size of passage 32 in the soft plastic washer 31 to be the determining factor in the size of the flame issuing from tube 23 of burner 20, use has been made of a jewel, or other material similarly unaffected to the same degree by temperature changes, for the disc 34 having a very small orifice '35 which is required to limit the flow of gas from compartment 15.

In prior art types of burners where a metal disc is used instead of a jeweled or similar disc 34, it was found that after the burner had been adjusted for satisfactory height of the flame, the heat from the flame would cause a heating of the metal parts of the burner through conduction, changing the size of the orifice and thereby changing the size of the flame. If, on the other hand, the size of the flame was adjusted while the metal parts were hot, then the initial size of the flame upon igniting the gas was not satisfactory to the user. In the present invention, once a flame of satisfactory size is obtained, the flame will remain approximately the same size until the supply of gas has substantiallydecreased.

The passage of the gas through passage '32 forces valve pin 21 upward opening passage 32 and the gas then passes through the space in jet tube 28 and the upper shaft of pin 21. The upward movement of valve pin 21 forces shoulder 3'7 of the pin against the opening to jet tube 28. This would prevent the free passage of the gas through jet tube 28 as is required for the operation of burner 20, but a step cut 38 in valve pin 21 at shoulder 37 prevents the closing of this opening. The gas thus flows by the step out 38 and through and out of jet tube 28. The gas is ignited at this point by' sparks from flint 13 and sparking wheel 12 located near jet tube 23. The flow of gas through the burner 20 is stopped when lid 11 of the lighter is closed, as shown in FIG. 1. The action of closing lid 11 causes element 17 to depress valve pin 21, causing its hemispherical base to press against the top of the passage 32 in plastic washer 31 sealing the flow of the gas. The base of pin 21 is retained in position by guide plate 29, the same plate 29 which restrains the location of the deformation of washer 31 when control member 25 is screwed into sleeve 22.

Another advantage of the use of a burner having the construction of the type in the present invention is in the use of a jeweled disc in place of a metal disc, wherein an orifice may be drilled therethrough with more accuracy and having closer tolerances than any found in the prior art burners.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A burner for a gas fueled lighter communicating between a chamber constructed to hold gaseous fuel under pressure and the exterior of the lighter when the lid of the lighter is open, comprising a sleeve attached to and projecting into the chamber holding gaseous fuel, a plug screwed into the upper end of said sleeve having a central bore widened at its lower end, a guide means immediately adjacent and in contact with the end of said plug in said sleeve, a resilient washer adjacent to and in contact with said guide means on the opposite side from said plug and having a passage therethrough, a thimble shaped member fitted into said sleeve on the opposite side of said resilient washer from said guide means in contact therewith and having a central bore therethrough with beveled edges, a centrally bored jewel resting on the beveled edges of the central bore of said thimble, a reciprocating stem in the central bore in said plug having a groove to insure a passage for gaseous fuel around said stem through said plug, said stem positioned to enter said passage in said guide means and to contact and block said passage in said resilient washer when the lighter is in a closed position, and a wheel attached to said plug for rotating said plug to change the pressure on said guide means and said resilient washer whereby the amount of gaseous fuel passing through the burner is regulated.

2. A burner for a gas fueled lighter communicating between a chamber constructed to hold gaseous fuel under pressure and the exterior of the lighter when the lid of the lighter is open, comprising a sleeve attached to and projecting into the chamber holding gaseous fuel, a plug screwed into the upper end of said sleeve having a central bore widened at its lower end, a fuel regulating member in operating relationship with said plug, a thimble shaped member fitted into said sleeve on the opposite side of said fuel regulating member from said plug and having a central bore therethrough with beveled edges, a centrally bored jewel resting on the beveled edges of the central bore of said thimble, a reciprocating stern in the central bore in said plug contacting said fuel regulating member in the closed position of the lighter and having a groove to insure a passage for gaseous fuel around said stem through said plug, and a wheel attached to said plug forrotating said plug to change the pressure on said fuel regulating member whereby the amount of gaseous fuel passing through the burner is regulated.

3. A burner for a gas fueled lighter communicating between a chamber constructed to hold gaseous fuel under pressure and the exterior of the lighter when the lid of the lighter is open, comprising a sleeve attached to and projecting into the chamber holding gaseous fuel, a plug screwed into the upper end of said sleeve having a central bore widened at its lower end, a fuel regulating member in operating relationship with said plug, a thirnble shaped member fitted into said sleeve on the opposite side of said fuel regulating member from said plug and having a central bore therethrough with beveled edges, a thermally stable member centrally bored and resting on the beveled edges of the central bore of said thimble, a reciprocating stem in the central bore in said plug contacting said fuel regulating member in the closed position of the lighter and having a groove to insure passage for gaseous \fuel around said stern through said plug, and operating means for rotating said plug whereby said fuel regulating member is caused to change the amount of gaseous fuel passing through the burner during rotation of said operating means and said plug.

4. A burner for a gas fueled lighter communicating between a chamber constructed to hold gaseous fuel under pressure and the exterior of the lighter When the lid of the lighter is open, comprising a sleeve attached to and projecting into the chamber holding gaseous fuel, a plug screwed into the upper end of said sleeve having a central bore widened at its lower end, a fuel regulating member in operating relationship with said plug, a thimble shaped member fitted into said sleeve on the opposite side of said fuel regulating member from said plug and having a central bore therethrough with beveled edges, a centrally bored jewel resting on the beveled edges of the central bore of said thimble, and a reciprocating stern in the central bore in said plug determining operation of said fuel regulating member.

5. A gas fueled lighter comprising an outer casing, a chamber within said casing constructed to hold gaseous fuel under pressure, a sleeve attached to and projecting into said chamber, a plug screwed into the upper end of said sleeve having a central bore widened at its lower end, a pressure plate adjacent the bottom of said plug and in contact therewith having a center opening, a resilient washer adjacent to said pressure plate on the opposite side from said plug, and a' reciprocating stem in the central bore in said plug having a groove to insure a passage for gaseous fuel around said stem through said plug when said stem is in the open position, said reciprocating stem guided through the opening in said pressure plate to rest on said resilient washer over the center hole of said resilient washer when said stem is in the closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Klotzman July 18, 1933 

4. A BURNER FOR A GAS FUELED LIGHTER COMMUNICATING BETWEEN A CHAMBER CONSTRUCTED TO HOLD GASEOUS FUEL UNDER PRESSURE AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE LIGHTER WHEN THE LID OF THE LIGHTER IS OPEN, COMPRISING A SLEEVE ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING INTO THE CHAMBER HOLDING GASEOUS FUEL, A PLUG SCREWED INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID SLEEVE HAVING A CENTRAL BORE WIDENED AT ITS LOWER END, A FUEL REGULATING MEMBER IN OPERATING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID PLUG, A THIMBLE SHAPED MEMBER FITTED INTO SAID SLEEVE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FUEL REGULATING MEMBER FROM SAID PLUG AND HAVING A CENTRAL BORE THERETHROUGH WITH BEVELED EDGES, A CENTRALLY BORED JEWEL RESTING ON THE BEVELED EDGES OF THE CENTRAL BORE OF SAID THIMBLE, AND A RECIPROCATING STEM IN THE CENTRAL BORE IN SAID PLUG DETERMINING OPERATION OF SAID FUEL REGULATING MEMBER. 